Rerolling mechanism for musical instruments.



J. F. MACKIN.

REROLLING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2I. m0.

1,1 54,189. PatentedSept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. F. MACKlN.

REROLLING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.21.1910.

1,1 54,189. Patentedsept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEE12.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MENTS, TO LAWRENCE MAXWELL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

R EROLLING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Application filed April 21, 1910. Serial No. 556,658.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. MACKIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Rerolling Mechanism forMusical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to a re-rolling device for a musical instrumentcontrolled by a perforated music sheet.

The principal objects of the invention are to furnish practicable meansfor automatically reversing the rolling apparatus when the music sheetis almost entirely unrolled from the music roll so as to cause the sameto be automatically re-rolled after the selection is played; toprovidemeans for automatically stopping the motor when the roll; hasbeen rewound; and to provide for accomplishing these results without theuse of any extra perforations, or cuts either in the tracker or musicsheet.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1is a front elevation of a tracker box showing other parts of a musicalinstrument partly in diagrammatic form.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the tracker box. Fig. 3 is anelevation of one of the rolls and connected parts on an enlarged scale.Fig. 4 is an elevation of part of the rerolling connections. Fig. 5 isan elevation of the parts shown at the bottom 'of Fig.1, and Fig. 6 is afront elevation of the same on enlarged scale with parts in section.

The instrument is shown as having a tracker box 10provided as usual witha music spool or roll 11 having spindles 12 and with a take-up spool orroll 13 having a gear 14. The shaft 15 for operating the music andtake-up spools is operated in any desired way. It is provided with apinion 16'meshing with the gear 14 for operating. the take-up roll andis also provided with a sprocket wheel 17 which operates asprocket'wheel 18 on the spindle 12 and which is designed to be put intooperation. to re-roll by means of a link 19 for 1noving a clutch 20 asis well understood in this art. This link is operated by a pneumaticconducting material shown as of cylindrical form; This is attached bymeans of a screw or pivot 29 longitudinally located with respect to'thetube 25 so that it can have a slight turning motion thereon. On thecylindrical insulating member 28 are two metallic rings 30 insulatedfrom each other by the wooden cylinder, each connected with one of thewires 26.

On the music spool is a thin flexible tightfitting band or contact piece31 of copper or other conducting material. This band may be removed orput on any music spool very easily without in any way cutting orimpairing the spool or the paper. Obviously, it serves to complete theelectric circuit between the two rings 30, when the music sheet has beenunwound sufficiently to allow the two conducting rings 30 to come downon the spool. This results in establishing a current through a battery40 and electromagnet 41. This magnet is provided with a leather-facedmetallic armature 42 which is moved by the energizing of the magnet awayfrom a port 43 so as to permit air to enter the same. This raises adiaphragm 44, the other side of which is in communication with anexhaust chamber 45. This in turn raises a double valve 46 and brings apassage 47 into communication with the chamber 45 through a port 48 andcloses a port 49 to the outside air. This connects the exhaust chamber45 with the bellows 21 and collapses the same which then operate thelink 19 in an obvious manner to connect up the driving shaft 15 with thespindle 12 so as to operate the re-rolling mechanism.

On the bottom of the tracker box is a tube 50 similar to the pivotedtube 25 and having an insulating roll 51 on the end provided with twometallic rings 52. This is adapted to be held away from the take-upspool 13 by the paper but is counterbalanced so as to come into contacttherewith when the paper is unwound, as shown in Fig. 1. At this timethe two metallic rings 52 come into cont-act with a metallic contactpiece 53 on the take-up spool which may extend all the way, or only partway, around the spool, as desired. If it extends only part way around itshould have a certain relationship to the hook which engages the eye inthe end of the music sheet, so that it will be in position to engage therings 52 when the expiring end of the music sheet is in the desiredposition. lVhen the sheet is entirely rerolled, an electric contact ismade at this point which completes an electric circuit 55, the twoterminals of which are the rings 52, and energizes a magnet 56. Thismagnet operates to raise an armature 57 to release a knife blade switch58 to permit a spring 59 to draw it out and break the contact, thusbreaking a motor circuit '60, which is connected with the motor 61, thatoperates the shaft 15.

lVhen it is desired to start the machine, a knob 62 is pressed againstthe spring 59 which brings the knife blade switch into position to makethe circuit. It is then held in that position by the gravity armature 57in an obvious manner. The operation will be obvious.

A music spool 11 is inserted in the cabinet preparatory to playing, withits hook or eye in engagement with the hook 54. The button 62 is thenpressed and the motor circuit is thus completed, thus starting the spool13 into rotation. The first revolution of the spool brings the musicsheet between the contact plate 53 and the rings 52 so that the armature57 will drop to hold the knife blade-switch in closed position so thatthe finger can be removed from the button 62. The music sheet continuesto wind up on the take-up spool until the selection has been played. Atthis point the music sheet on the spool 11 uncovers the contact piece 31thereby completing the electrical circuit 26 and connecting the bellows21 with the exhaust, as has been explained. This operates the re-rollconnections and the music sheet starts back so as to rewind on the musicspool 11.. As the last turn of the music sheet leaves the spool 13 ituncovers the contact piece 53 and the rings 52 come into engagement withit so as to complete the electrical circuit 55. This raises the armature57 which permits the spring 59 to act to break the motor circuit andstop the motor.

lVhile I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by anyperson skilled in the art without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to belimited to all the details of construction shown and described, but

lVhat I do claim is 1. As an article of manufacture, a nonconductingmusic spool for a musical instrmnent, said spool having a metallicelectrical conducting plate thereon located entirely between the ends ofthe spool so asto be covered by the music sheet at all times duringplaying and to be uncovered by the sheet only when the sheet issubstantially unwound from the spool.

2. The combination with a non-conducting rotatable take-up spool havinga metallic contact piece thereon, of a pivoted arm having two electricterminals thereon insulated from each other and engaging the sheet onthe spool, a circuit connected with said terminals, and means in saidcircuit for controlling the stopping of the rotation of said spool.

3. In a musical instrument, the combina tion of a music spool, a take-upspool, a note sheet, a shaft, and means for connecting the shaft eitherwith the take-up spool or the music spool, with electro magnetic meanssupported independent of the note sheet whereby when the note sheet isunwound from the music spool the said connecting means will be operatedto connect the shaft with the music spool, and electro magnetic meansindependent of the note sheet whereby when the note sheet leaves thetake-up spool the shaft will be stopped.

4. In a musical instrument, the combination of a music spool having ametallic contacting member thereon in position to be covered by themusic sheet at all times when the latter is wound upon the spool, a pairof contact members insulated from each other in position to engage thesaid contact member when the music sheet is unrollcd there from, andmeans electrically controlled thereby for reenrolling the sheet onthespool.

5. In a musical instrument, the combination of a motor, a music spool,pneumatic means for connecting the motor with the music spool to rewindthe sheet thereon, electromagnetic means for controlling the operationof said pneumatic means, an electrical circuit for energizing theelectro magnetic means having two terminals normally insulated from eachother and located in position to engage the music spool, and means onthe music spool for electrically connecting said terminals when themusic sheet is unrolled therefrom and they come into contact therewith.

6. In a musical instrument, the combination of a shaft, a music spool,means for connecting the shaft with the music spool for rewinding thesheet on the music spool, a pneumatic having means for operating saidconnecting means, an electromagnet having an armature, an air conduitnorsaid connecting means,

mally closed by said armature and adapted when openedby the energizingof the magnet, to connect said pneumatic with a source of exhaust, twoterminals normally insulated from each other and connected with thecircuit of the electro-magnet, and means whereby when the music sheet isunrolled from the spool said terminals will be connected with each otherto energize the magnet and start the re-rolling operation.

7. In a musical instrument, the combina tion of a music spool for a notesheet, a takeup spool, a power shaft, means whereby the shaft can beconnected either with the takeup spool or music spool, means for oprating an electrical circuit for controlling said operating means, meanssupported independent of the note sheet whereby when the note sheet onthe music spool is unrolled therefrom, said circuit will be completedand the connecting means will connect the shaft with the music spool torewind the same, and means whereby when the end of the note sheet leavesthe take-up spoolthe power shaft will be stopped.

8. In a musical instrument, the combination of a music spool, a take-upspool, a shaft, and means for connecting the shaft either with thetake-up spool or the music spool, with means whereby when the musicsheet is unwound from the music spool the said connecting means will beoperated to connect the shaft with the music spool, a motor foroperating said shaft, an electrical circuit for the motor having twoterminals insulated from each other, a metallic plate on the take-upspool adapted to connect said terminals, when the note-sheet leaves thetake-up spool, and means whereby the shaft will be stopped when saidplate connects with said terminals.

9. In a musical instrument, the combination of a take-up spool, ametallic contact piece thereon adapted to be covered by the note sheetwhen wound upon the spool, a movable member having two terminalsinsulated from each other in position to engage said piece when themusic sheet is unwound so as to uncover the same, an electro-magnet, anelectrical circuit connecting said electromagnet with said terminals, amotor-circuit, a switch in the motor circuit, means constantly tendingto open said switch, and an armature for said magnet having means forholding said switch closed except when said magnet is energized andarranged to release it when attracted by the magnet.

10. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a roll for aperforated music strip; a metallic surface covering a portion of saidroll; a perforated music strip attached to said roll, said strip beingadapted to uncover portions of said metallic surface when said strip isentirely unrolled;

metallic pieces adapted to make a running electric contact with saidmetallic surface when the same is uncovered by said strip and mounted topermit the several turns of said strip when on said roll to lie betweensaid metallic surface and said pieces; an electric motor; anelectro-magnetic circuit breaker, electric connections between saidmetallic pieces and the coils of the electromagnet of saidcircuit-breaker said connections including a source of electricity;electrical connections between the armature ter minals of said motor andsaid circuitbreaker; and mechanical connections between the shaft ofsaid motor and said roll.

11. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination of a music roll;a take-up roll, a metallic surface on each of said rolls; a perforatedmusic-strip having one end attached to each of said rolls, portions ofsaid ends being adapted to expose parts of said metallic surfaces whensaid strip is entirely unrolled; a pair of insulated metallic piecessupported near each of said rolls and adapted to make a running electriccontact with the metal surface on each of said rolls when the same areexposed by the cut-away ends of said music strip, and mounted to permitthe several turns of said strip when on said rolls to lie between saidsurfaces and said pieces; two motors; two electro-magnets forcontrolling the operation of said motors respectively; electricalconnections between the metallic pieces near said music roll and thecoils of one of the electro-magnets, said connections including a sourceof electricity; mechanical connections between the mo tor controlled bythe last named electromagnet and said music roll; electrical connectionsbetween the metallic pieces near said take-up roll and the coils of theother electro-magnet, said last named connections including a source ofelectricity; and mechanical connections between the shaft of one of themotors and the take-up roll.

12. In a musical instrument, the combination of a movable member havingtwo terminals separated from each other, an electro-magnet, anelectrical circuit of which said electro-magnet and said terminals formparts, a motor circuit, a switch in the motor circuit, means constantlytending to open said switch, an armature for said magnet having meansfor holding said switch closed except when the magnet is energized andarranged to release it when the armature is attracted by the magnet, andmeans for con necting said terminals whereby the magnet will beenergized.

13. In a musical instrument, the combination with a takeup spool, of amember having two terminals separated from each other, an electromagnet,an electrical circuit including said electromagnet and terminals,whereby the electromagnet will be energized when the terminals areelectrically connected, a motor circuit, a switch in the motor circuit,a spring for normally opening said switch, an armature for said magnethaving means for holding the switch closed against the action of sandspring and arranged to move into aposition to release the switch Whenattracted by the electromagnet, andvmeans on the take-up spool forconnect- 10 ing said terminals and thus completing the motor circuitwhen the music sheet is un Wound from said spool to expose the lustnamed means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twosubscribing 15 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by nddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

wdlhington, D. 0-

